


Anything Can Happen in a Heartbeat

by rare_ruby



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Car Accident, Drunk Driver, Flatline, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Levi Schmitt, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Worried Nico Kim, cardiac arrest - Freeform, medically induced coma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:15:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27343393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rare_ruby/pseuds/rare_ruby
Summary: It was a rainy day. Nico had the early shift. Levi had the afternoon shift. Levi never makes it to work and Nico is worried out of his mind.
Relationships: Amelia Shepherd & Richard Webber, Atticus Lincoln & Jo Wilson Karev, Casey Parker & Levi Schmitt, Meredith Grey & Atticus Lincoln, Nico Kim & Atticus Lincoln, Nico Kim & Richard Webber, Nico Kim/Levi Schmitt
Comments: 13
Kudos: 113





	Anything Can Happen in a Heartbeat

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so what I’m about to say has spoilers. You’ve been warned. 
> 
> I know Levi and Nico broke up, but I started this last year and wanted to finish it. I also know that Nico is going to come back in season 17, so I have hopes these two will make it happen again. I really like this ship and I hope you guys like what I did with this story. I have always wanted to see a softer side of Nico with Levi and the way I wrote him is how I envision Nico would react if this were to happen. I tried my best to edit it, but I’m sure I missed some things, so apologies for that. I hope you enjoy! Get prepared, this is an angsty one XD

Nico woke up to that infernal sound that was his alarm and groaned. He moved his hand randomly through his bed stand to turn it off. While still laying down, he turned around and immediately every single strand of anger in his body was replaced with love and a wide smile on his face. He saw Levi. The sight of his sleeping boyfriend so close to him, the sound of his calmed breaths, and his ability to sleep so peacefully right through any alarm soothed Nico of any surges of anger. 

He knew he had to get up and moving for work, but he wanted to admire Levi some more. Levi had his shift in the afternoon, so he was allowed to sleep in; Nico, on the other hand, had the early shift. He began to stroke his boyfriend’s curls and remove any hairs on his face so he could see his beautiful face clearly. He couldn’t believe how much the sight of Levi made him grin like an idiot.

What did I do to deserve you? Nico wondered, while still carrying a grin from ear to ear. 

He soon decided enough was enough and that he should really get going. He kissed his boyfriend’s temple and started making his way over to the bathroom to take a shower. He stopped midway when he heard a confused and tired Levi calling his name. Nico went back to the bed to greet his boyfriend. 

“Hey. Good morning, sleepy head. Sorry I woke you.” Nico whispered. Levi wasn’t 100% awake yet, but he was getting there.

“N-Nico?”

“Yup, I’m here, Levi. Go back to sleep. I’ll see you at the hospital later, okay?” 

As soon as the words left Nico’s mouth, Levi was up and aware. “Noooo. Don’t leave, stay with me.” 

“Levi, today’s that day our schedules are mixed up, remember? I gotta go.” 

“Ughhh. Fine, but don’t forget to have a nice day.” Levi said as he giggled.  
Nico’s grin was wider than before and he gave Levi a kiss on the cheek.  
——  
As soon as Nico went into the bathroom, Levi got up and made his way over to the kitchen. He decided he wanted to surprise Nico with some breakfast. He also assumed Nico would most likely run out without eating anything since he didn’t like being late, and Levi was not having that. 

He prepared some hearty pancakes, some scrambled eggs, a cup of coffee, a plate of fruit, and some apple juice.  
When Nico left the shower, he went back to his room, hoping to see Levi again, but he wasn’t there. Nico frowned, but quickly dismissed the thought as he picked up the delicious aroma of pancakes and scrambled eggs. His stomach growled and, at that moment, he realized just how hungry he really was. 

He got dressed and made his way down to the kitchen, following the smell, and found a table fit for a king. The food was beautifully prepared and placed on the table, with Levi washing his hands on the sink. 

When Levi turned around, he saw Nico and jumped. “

“Hi! I didn’t even hear you get here. Eat up, you’re going to be late and I know how much you hate that.” 

“You did this? For me?”

“Well I did it for me too, but also for you.”  
Nico slowly walked over to Levi and devoured him in kisses. 

“I love you. So so much.” 

“I love you too, but don’t eat me, eat the food. Really, you’re going to be late.” 

“Fine. Fine.”

Nico inhaled the food before him, brushed his teeth and put his coat on.  
Levi helped Nico gather his things and was waiting to say goodbye. 

“Bye Nico! Have a wonderful day and stay safe. I love you!”

Nico answered him with a kiss and the biggest smile he could put on.

“You’re making me smile too much and it’s actually hurting my face. I’ll see you later at the hospital, okay? I love you.” With one last kiss, Nico left and Levi was alone.  
——  
Levi had to be at the hospital at 2, so he still had some time. He decided to sleep some more until it was time to go. 

Levi woke up to a text message on his phone.

Nico: Text me when you get here. Miss you

Levi smiled widely and checked the time. It was 1:22. He answered Nico and quickly got into the shower.

Levi: Will do. Miss you too!

After his shower, Levi got dressed and took a banana with him to eat on the way.  
It was really windy and Levi knew it was going to be a long, harsh walk, but he also knew he couldn’t be late for rounds, so he tried his best to walk as fast as possible. Levi fought through the harsh winds until he felt a drop. On top of the wind, he had to tackle the rain. It was not even light rain, it downright began to pour. To say that Levi was soaked was an understatement, but he didn’t let that get in the way of him getting to his job. 

He was almost there, he had to cross one last road and then he was practically at the hospital. He stopped, looked both ways, and noticed the streetlight was on red, so he started to cross. He was just beginning to cross when he heard a car coming. He turned to see it, but kept walking, assuming the car was just approaching and would stop when the driver saw Levi crossing. Levi kept looking at the car, but what was shocking was the fact that he was getting closer and closer to Levi and he did not look like he was about to stop. The car was really close, and Levi lost his ability to move. Maybe it was shock, maybe it was fear, maybe it was confusion as to why the car didn’t stop sooner, but Levi stopped midway and his legs felt too heavy to pick up. He was glued to the road, and the car was not stopping. 

It all happened in a heartbeat. 

The car never stopped. It ran Levi over. 

The driver only stopped when he saw a body covered in blood. 

“H-Holy shit.” The man whispered beneath his breath as he saw Levi’s body in the ground. He left his car and almost squinted to make sure he was seeing the scenario before him correctly. “I-I did that?!” The driver was drunk, but the vision before him sobered him up real fast.  
He almost wondered how no people were crowding the scene. He then felt the rain drops and took one good look at the unconscious man before him. “I did this.” 

The driver jumped when he heard a “DING!” 

Every fiber in the man’s being was willing him not to get closer to Levi’s body, but there was a phone, something he could use to get this man to safety. He shut his eyes, and took Levi’s phone. He then saw a notification that read:

Nico: Levi where are you?? The attendings are mad because their star resident is missing. Text me when you get here. 

It was 2:24. 

The man pressed on the ‘Emergency Call’ button and dialed 911.  
——  
“Hello. You have dialed 911. What’s your emergency?”

“There’s been an accident. Get here fast. There’s a man here. God, I-I didn’t....God. Just get here fast!”

“What is your exact location, sir?”

“I-I don’t know. Umm, I’m on Centennial Drive. There’s a large building.” The man struggled to read the sign. He was still in shock. “Grey....Grey-Sloan Memorial.”

“Grey-Sloan. That’s a hospital! All right, sir. Paramedics will be with you shortly and the good news is that one of the best hospitals in the country is right next to you. Can you tell me what happened?”  
There was silence. The man did not know how to respond.

“Sir? Are you still there?”

“Still here.”

“Can you tell me your name?”

“Clyde.”

“Very well, Clyde. My name is Kate. Can you tell me what happened?”

“No. I’m sorry.” Clyde began to cry. “I cannot possibly put into words what just happened. He’s bleeding real bad, he looks dead already, just please! Where are you? I need you to get here now!” He sobbed harder after every word.

“Clyde, I need you to calm down. The paramedics will arrive shortly. Just breathe for me, and stay on the line.”

Clyde did as he was told. He tried so hard not to look down, to not look at the man on the ground dressed in his own blood, to not see that lifeless look on his face, to not see the tragedy he just commit. He wanted this to be one of those nightmares that are too close to being real. He wanted to wake up in the bar where he was drinking with his friends. But then he remembered that he got into a fight with one of them. A bad one. He wanted nothing more than to leave, so he got in the car and drove. Still under the influence. He didn’t care where he was going. He just wanted to get away from that bar and his friends. He wasn’t paying attention to the road. He wished he had just stayed at the bar and slept or just called an Uber. The weather just made it harder to see the road and he didn’t want to focus on driving. Then he hit something. Soon after he realized that “it” was a “he.”  
His painful memory was interrupted with sirens. The paramedics were here.

“Clyde. The paramedics should be there now. You can hang up and talk to them now. Tell them everything you know. They’ll help you.” Kate said. Clyde hung up. It was time to pay for what he did.  
——  
It was 3:09.

Nico had several consults, one short hernia repair, and another short surgery where he assisted Link. He checked his phone throughout everything he did in hopes to get a message from Levi, but nothing. He didn’t want to worry because he knew residents were very busy, but he just wanted to hear from Levi. He tried to brush it off as nothing and went back to work. It was pretty clear in the pit; he expected some incoming traumas to come in due to the weather. 

Link cleared Nico from his thoughts: “Dude, what are you doing just sitting around? There’s a bunch of incoming traumas.”

“Yeah. I’ll be right there. I’ll meet you in the pit.” Nico was a bit distracted, but he managed a good enough response. He then decided to go find one of the other residents and find out any news about Levi. He knew he was probably being ridiculous, but he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that would not leave him alone.

Link gave him a frown and saw as he frantically walked away. Huh. Fellowship year must be real hard on the guy. Link thought and made his way to the pit.

Nico found Taryn and stopped her immediately. She seemed to be in a hurry. “Helm! Have you seen Levi? Was he in rounds?”

Helm was moving fast and pumped up. She must have a surgery. Nico thought.  
“No. I didn’t see him in rounds, but he probably just got something called in for something else. Sorry, I really have to go.” She didn’t even wait for a response and took off, leaving Nico more worried than before. 

He kept looking at his phone, but nothing. Something told him Levi was in danger and it was killing him. He just wanted to see Levi and calm his nerves. 

Shit, the pit! Nico remembered and ran over to the pit. He hoped the pit could distract him from his constant nerves.  
——  
Link wondered why Nico was taking so long. He was talking to Jo while they both waited to get their hands dirty. Once they heard the siren, they were alert. 

“What do we got?” Jo asked excitedly. 

“John Doe. Caucasian male in his 20s. Got hit by a car; has multiple internal wounds; heart beat is light, but present.”  
Link and Jo could not believe their eyes. 

“Look, I’m so sorry. I-I didn’t see him. I swear I didn’t mean to do this to him. I c-could n-never!” Clyde yelled and practically got on his knees for forgiveness.

“Oh my gosh! Schmitt?!” Jo could not believe her eyes.

The paramedics filled them in: “This guy, Clyde, was driving and called 911. Still in shock and pretty traumatized.”

“Shit.” Link cursed. 

“Look, I know I deserve the worst, but I swear to god I didn’t mean for this to happen. I swear it!”

They stood frozen in place until the paramedics broke them from their thoughts “This guy’s not gonna heal on his own, you know.” 

“Right.” Link said under his breath.

“Jo, tell Nico I no longer need him in the pit. Keep him as far away from here as possible.”

“But Link.”

“Look, Schmitt has internal wounds, no ortho needed. I’ll just get him prepped into an OR and page Grey. I’ll stay to assist. Nico doesn’t need to see this yet. Not like this.”

Jo was not at all convinced, but accepted Link’s orders with a nod. “Fine. But neither of them are going to like that.” And with that, she left. 

“W-What should I do?” Clyde asked.

“You’ve done enough. Just . . . Follow me.” 

Link took Schmitt and told security to keep an eye on Clyde and to call the cops for his interrogation. He then, set up an OR and began recruiting doctors. He hoped Nico didn’t find out about this the hard way. 

Jo walked with a fast pace with worry and anxiousness poured all over her face. She knew what her and Link were doing was wrong and she was sincerely worried about Levi. She was so nervous to see Nico and have to lie straight to his face. The thoughts clouding her mind almost stopped her from seeing Nico. He was running really fast toward the pit until Jo stopped him. 

“Wait! Nico.”

“Oh hey. Sorry, Link needs me in the pit. Gotta run.”

“T-That’s exactly why I was looking for you. Link said he no longer needs your help in the pit. There weren’t any ortho injuries. You should . . . cover his post-ops.” 

Nico eyed her suspiciously. Jo looked pretty serious, but she stuttered a bit and she’s not the type to stutter. He also noticed how she was grabbing her arm while she was talking, almost as if she was trying to hide how nervous she was. 

“Umm. Okay. Was Link mad at me, or?”

“No! No, of course not. He just, didn’t need any extra help. Don’t bother going to the pit, really.”

“. . . All right.”

Jo smiled, but it wasn’t genuine. Having to lie to Nico about something like this, putting on an act, it killed her, so she tried to go away as fast as possible, but Nico stopped her. 

“Wait, sorry. Have you seen Levi anywhere? He was supposed to text me when he got here, but he never did. I haven’t heard from him. Have you seen him at all today?” 

Jo didn’t know how she didn’t just burst into tears at that very second, but she managed to keep the act going. “Levi? No, I-I haven’t seen him, not today. S-Sorry.” And with that, she gave him another smile, leaning more on the pitiful side, but turned around quickly and left as fast as her legs could take her.  
Nico was left alone, now confused and with nothing to distract him from his worry. 

God, Levi where are you?

He checked his phone again, but no notifications were there. He did want to peep into the pit just to see if he could make himself useful, but then thought that maybe Link was indeed mad and just wanted to punish him by making him do his post-ops. He really didn’t need a lecture from Link or any unnecessary drama, so he decided against going to the pit, and just did as he was told: Link’s post-ops. He needed to occupy his mind with something or else he’d go insane.  
——  
“You wait here. The police will be here soon for your interrogation.” Link told a very anxious Clyde. 

“B-But will he be okay? I’m sorry!” Clyde was in tears.

Link held back the urge to punch him in the face and just said: “It’s not me you should be apologizing to.” With that, he left Clyde helpless and in tears. 

“Keep an eye on him till the cops get here.” Link told security who responded with a serious nod. 

Link took Schmitt on the gurney to an OR and while on his way, he encountered Grey and Bailey. 

“Holy crap, is that Schmitt?!” Bailey cursed as soon as she saw him. 

Meredith stood next to Bailey in pure shock. “What happened?” 

“Got hit by a car. Has several internal wounds. We need all the help we can get!”  
Link informed.

“Why are you going so fast?” Meredith asked. 

Link didn’t answer, he just kept going with Miranda and Meredith running behind him.  
He didn’t stop until he made it to the OR. 

“Dr. Lincoln!” Bailey yelled when they made it the OR. “What is going on?” 

“I don’t want Nico to find out. At least not like this.” Link said and received looks of realization from the women before him.

“Dr. Lincoln, I don’t condone emotions interfering within the workplace.” Bailey stated firmly. Meredith and Link stood helplessly looking at her. “But, I do understand the severity of this situation.” Bailey continued.

“Then let’s get to work!” Meredith exclaimed. 

They prepped Levi and then prepped themselves to operate. After getting scrubbed, Link began the surgery: “Bokhee, ten-blade please.”

Bokhee gave it to him and they went in.  
“He has a lot of internal bleeding, I can’t get a visual of where it’s all coming from.” Meredith said desperately. 

“That’s it, I’m paging a resident.” Bailey states firmly. She received worried glances and backed herself up. “Look, I know they’re all his friends, but we can’t handle this on our own and we all want him alive, don’t we?” 

Meredith and Link nodded and just as they did, Jo walked in. 

“I can scrub in! Nico’s taken care of. Where should I help?” 

“Jo, before you scrub, call one of the residents . . . anyone who could scrub in right now, and prepare them before getting them in here.”

“Got it.” 

Jo was back in less than five minutes with Casey. 

As they both scrubbed, Casey kept looking inside at the body he was about to operate on.

“Parker, listen. I know he’s your friend and he’s one of you, but you have to stay strong. It’s all part of the process to make you a better surgeon.” Jo assured Casey and he gave her a weak “Yes Ma’am.”

When they both finished scrubbing, they were put to work immediately. 

“Jo come help me with this broken rib.” Link urged. She obliged.

“Parker, I managed to stop some of the bleeders, but there’s one more I can’t trace. I need you to up his dosage and move the camera so I can get a better visual.” Grey ordered. 

OR 2 was a room full of distress, but they all had the same goal: keeping Schmitt alive.  
——  
Nico was getting restless. He didn’t have anything to do, he was worried out of his mind and Link appeared to be mad at him. He tried looking for him to apologize and beg for something . . . anything to do. He finished all post-ops and felt completely useless. He was lost in his thoughts as he bumped into Dr. Webber. 

“S-Sir! I’m sorry.” Nico apologized softly.  
“That’s quite all right, Son. What’s got you so down in the dumps?” Richard asked. Nico and Dr. Webber didn’t know each other very well, but one could not fool Dr. Richard Webber. He could see right through anybody. 

“I can’t lie to you, Sir. I’m worried about Levi. He was supposed to text me when he got here and Helm says she hasn’t seen him during rounds. He isn’t answering any of my texts either.”

Nico looked at Richard’s face begin to turn into a worried one and realized that he just shared a personal problem to Richard Webber. “I’m sorry, Sir. I shouldn’t bother you with personal issues. Please forget what I said.” Nico was about to leave, but Richard stopped him.

“Son.”

Nico turned around.

“We’re doctors. Patients expect us to have hearts of stone, but that’s not true. We know that better than anybody. I understand your worry and it’s better to share it than to have it all bottled in. I did have a look when the residents were in rounds, but, I did not see Schmitt there.”

If Nico wasn’t worried before, he certainly was now.

“Now don’t worry, Son. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s in danger. Tell you what, go have a walk, grab something to eat, and take things slow today. You are clearly distracted and not in the right state of mind to work.” 

“I appreciate it sir, but with all do respect, I prefer to be here and try to distract myself with something because this anxiety is killing me.”

“Very well, Dr. Kim. Let’s see what we can do to help get your mind off all this.”  
——  
Dr. Webber has had a pretty easy day and nobody has called him for surgery so he wanted to help Nico out. He and Nico were walking by the hallway as Webber wanted to walk for a while and talk to help Nico stop imagining the worst case scenarios. 

“Son, I had an affair when I was your age and I was constantly worrying...”

No matter how much Nico tried, he could not stop thinking about Levi. Dr. Webber kept going on and on with a story Nico was sure was just one of his many life lessons. He honestly did not care. He was anxious. He was imagining Levi getting into some type of accident. They always called each other, always. It’s not like him to just ignore Nico. What if he’s hurt? What if...

“Dr. Kim?” 

Richard’s firm voice got Nico out of the trance that was his thoughts. 

Nico knew he was being disrespectful. He disappointed Link and Dr. Webber. And the fact that his boyfriend was nowhere to be found was just the cherry on top of what brought Nico close to tears. Webber noticed and decided to just let’s the boy be. 

“I can tell you’re overwhelmed, Son. It’s good to let it out.”

Nico didn’t cry, tears were just threatening to escape, but he held it together.

“I’m sorry Dr. Webber. You’re probably right. I’m just overwhelmed and just making a big deal out of nothing. Fellowship year is really stressing me out.”

Richard answered him with a smile.

The pair kept walking until they saw the police pulling a man who looked absolutely awful. He was crying and his clothes were all raggedy. He looked like he was in shock. He kept saying “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” 

Nico and Richard were intrigued. Richard took this as an opportunity to use his confidence and ‘I have been working here since forever’ card to get to the bottom of what was going on. It would have been a good distraction for both of them and a teaching opportunity. One is never to old to learn.

“Excuse me, officers. Dr. Richard Webber, what seems to be the problem?”

“Dr. Webber, this is quite a serious matter. We are taking this man to be interrogated.” 

“Bad accident, I assume?”

Clyde flinched.

“Pretty bad, yes.”

Dr. Webber worried and quickly changed his mind about this being a good teaching opportunity. Nico was not going to learn anything with the state of mind he was in. “Come on Dr. Kim,” Webber motioned for Nico to follow, “I’m sure there’s a ton of patients in the pit-“

Webber proceeded but stopped when he saw Nico slowly turned to face Clyde and the officer. Something told him this accident is linked to Levi.

Levi. Please no.

“C-can you describe him?”

Clyde saw Nico’s look of despair and fear. He felt like he was going to throw up. 

The officer soon picked up on the situation and thought he should interfere, “Apologies. We really have to get going.”

“I’m sorry okay! I promise, I just didn’t see him.”

Everything was slowly coming to Nico.  
Nico couldn’t take it anymore. He rushed over to Clyde and shook him. 

“Describe him.” Nico asked in an deep, slow voice. If justice didn’t hit Clyde, Nico sure would. 

Clyde repeatedly said “I’m sorry, I didn’t see him,” but that wasn’t enough for Nico. 

“Answer me! Who did you run over?”

Richard thought it was best to intervene before it got too out of hand, “All right Dr. Kim. This has gone too far.”

Nico took his arm out of Webber’s grasp and forgot all about who he was speaking to. “No, Dr. Webber. He has to say it. I need to hear it from him.”

“I’m so-“

“I don’t give a shit!” Nico yelled.

“Dr. Kim! That’s it, you’re coming with me.” Richard was pulling him away until Nico escaped his grasp once more and went back to face Clyde.

This time, Nico’s face was desperate and full of tears. 

“He had glasses,” was all Clyde said when the officer made him start walking again. And that’s when Nico knew it was Levi. 

The officer took over, “He ran over a guy in his mid-twenties.”

Nico could not believe what he heard.

The officer apologized, “I’m sorry, we didn’t mean to cause any trouble. We have to go now.”

Nico and Webber were left as desperate as ever.  
——  
“Dr. Kim, I really think you should take the day off. What service can you provide if you’re not looking after yourself,” Richard told him.

Nico just sat there in utter silence. He and Richard made their way to a waiting area where they could sit and calm down. 

“You’re right, Dr. Webber,” Nico answered. His voice was hollow, “I-I will wait here until Levi comes out.”

“No, Kim. Take a walk, go get something to eat. You can’t just sit here, you’ll go insane.”

“I don’t have the energy. Can..can you do something for me?”

Richard sighed. “What is it?”

“Can you find out who is operating on Levi?”

Richard had his schedule clear. He could very much do what he was asked, but he didn’t want to leave Nico alone like this. 

“Nico, I-“

“Please Dr. Webber. I just want to know who is in charge of Levi’s life right now.”

“I’ll go, but only if you promise me you’ll go eat something.”

“Fine.”

“Come on, I’m taking you to the cafeteria, myself.”

Nico let himself be tugged by Richard. He wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t have energy. He’s been through enough mental strain for one day. 

When they made it to the cafeteria, Nico promised him he’ll get something and Richard left.

Nico waited in line and settled for a bag of chips and some water. He sat down at an empty table and drank some water. He opened the bag of chips, but found himself feeling so nervous that just the thought of food was enough to make him feel sick. He sat there, only drinking water.  
——  
“Hurry, move the light and apply more pressure ,” Meredith told Parker. He did as he was told. With all hands on deck, Levi was stable and it looked like they were ready to close.

Link was treating the broken rib, Jo and Parker were taking care of the internal bleeding, and Meredith and Bailey were making sure he was stable. 

Moments after, Richard came into the OR. Everyone looked at him and expected the worst. 

“Who’s on the table?”

Meredith was about to say something, but Link beat her to it. 

He sighed, “It’s Schmitt.”

Richard stood with disbelief. He did not know what to do. “Is is . . . How’s he doing?” was all Richard could muster. 

“Worst part’s done. We’re finishing up, actually,” Meredith replied.

Richard actually breathed a sigh of relief right then and there. For a split second, he panicked. One of his residents was on the table and he would have to deliver the news to Nico. 

“That’s wonderful. Great job, everyone.”

“Wait!” Link called out to Richard.

“Yes?”

“Can you not tell Nico about this just yet? We’re almost done so I’ll make sure to tell him everything after we close.” 

“I’m afraid he already knows, Dr. Lincoln.” Richard stated.

“What? Really?” 

“Yes. The poor guy hasn’t been able to work all day today because of how worried he’s been.”

Huh Link thought to himself. These two really are meant to be.

Right then, Levi’s heart monitor began to flatline. 

“Link, focus! We’re losing him!” Meredith yelled.

Richard felt this was his fault. He was distracting Link. “I-I,” he didn’t know what to say. Levi was in cardiac arrest. 

He saw each of the surgeons’ faces go into complete despair. What caught his eye was Casey Parker’s face of complete shock. He was moving all over the place trying to see where he could help. 

“Dr. Webber, with all do respect, we can take it from here.” Bailey shouted a little too loud, but she was desperate.

Richard left immediately. 

What am I going to tell Nico now?  
——  
Nico was growing restless. Why is Webber taking so long? He decided he couldn’t take it anymore. Before he knew it he was on his feet and he was speed walking. To where, he did not know, but he could not just at there. He was shaking like a leaf. Nico was so blinded by his nerves that he didn’t even see Richard when he numbed into him. 

“Kim!”

Nico looked at Webber hesitantly, “ Dr. Webber! How is he? Is he okay? Is he stable? HOW IS HE??!”

Webber looked at Nico with sad eyes. This man was really in love. He knew he couldn’t lie to him. 

“Nico, I . . .” Richard didn’t know where his experience of delivering unfortunate news went. It was suddenly so hard for him, “Link, Meredith, Jo, and Bailey are operating. They also have Parker there to assist. He’s in good hands.”

“Why do they need so many people? What happened to him?!” Nico yelled.

“There were a lot of internal wounds.” Nico flinched at this. “Hey, noticed I said ‘were.’ Your fellow surgeons did a fine job with him. He was pretty much done when I went to see him.”

That’s when Richard bit his lip and wished he just stayed quiet. 

“So he’s okay? Are they ready to close? They must’ve closed by now? What room is he-“

“Nico.” Richard interrupted.

“Sir?”

“The-there was a slight complication when I went in. I was distracting them so I left immediately. They’re still working on him. But I’m sure it was a small problem they are able to fix. I bet they’ll be done with him in no time and you’ll be able to see him before you know it.”

“What complication?”

“Nico it’s best if you don’t know yet. Wait until they’re done with-“

“What complication, Dr. Webber?”

Richard had no choice. “He flatlined.”

Nico didn’t cry, he didn’t yell, his face looked of shock. Just pure shock. 

“Son, you’re a surgeon. A flatline can occur several times during a surgery and they end up fine. We are able to bring them back. This was just one flatline. They didn’t have any major complications prior. He’ll be okay. He’s got the best team he could ask for in there.”

Nico couldn’t speak. He didn’t know what to do with himself. He flatlined. He died.

Richard was getting uneasy with Nico’s lack of emotion display. He would of preferred for Nico to cry, yell, or even punch a wall. It’s much better. All he saw was shock.

“He-he died.”

“No, no. Nico, he isn’t going to die.”

“But he flatlined, he died for a while. Or he already died and they don’t have the guts to come out and face me.”

“Dr. Kim. You’re not well. Please go talk a walk. You don’t have to go home, just take a walk around the hospital. Get some fresh air. It’ll do you good.”

Nico didn’t have the energy. He felt like was going to throw up. He sat down on one of the chairs and Richard sat with him. 

Nico didn’t want to be rude and tell him, but he really wanted Richard to leave. He wanted to cry. He wanted to cry so hard. He wanted to sob like there was no tomorrow. But he didn’t feel comfortable doing it with Webber next to him. As if on queue, Amelia came up to them.

“Hey!” She was in a cheery mood, but her face changed immediately as soon as she saw theirs. “What’s going on?”

Nico looked away from her and Richard answered “It’s . . . a long story, Amelia.”

Amelia looked confused and curious, but decided not to insist. “Okay. Well, Richard, I came because I need you for a consult. It’s about this potential tumor. I want to double check with you so I can give a proper diagnosis.”

Richard nodded and looked to Nico. “Will you be okay on your own, Son?”

“I’ll be fine, Dr. Webber. You’ve done enough for me, thank you.” Nico answered coldly.

Richard sighed. “Don’t do anything stupid.” And with that Richard and Amelia left and Nico finally had time to cry. 

And Nico sobbed. He had been holding in his tears all day and he just wasn’t strong enough to hold them in another second. He noticed that there were a few people around the room, staring at him. He decided it was best to go to the bathroom. He was about to get up until an OR door opener. Link came out. 

Link. Link operated on Levi.

Nico stood up immediately. So fast he almost passed out because he hadn’t eaten much that day other than Levi’s breakfast and water. But that didn’t stop him from getting to Link. 

Link saw him and gasped. “Nico!”

“How is he?”

As soon as he asked, Meredith, Jo, Bailey, and Casey exited the room as well. 

“He’s okay. He’s alive.” Link answered carefully. 

“So, it all went well. He’s good??” Nico was getting impatient.

Link looked uneasy. Meredith took over. 

“He flatlined twice. He’s okay, but we had to put him under a medically induced coma. He almost didn’t make it, but he did. He’s very strong. It’ll take a few days for him to wake up and he will have to go through one year of physical therapy.”

As much as it haunted Nico’s heart to hear that Levi flatlined twice, he appreciated Meredith’s raw honesty. She explained the occurrences clearly and calmly enough to calm him down. At least he knew that Levi will wake up. It’ll take a while, but he will wake up. 

“Thank you.” Nico was crying a river now. It was a sight nobody was used to. 

He hugged Meredith first. No warning, no anything. Just a pure hug. Meredith hugged back and smiled.

“He’s one of us after all. Very strong too. You’ve found yourself a good one.” Meredith said with a smile. 

Nico broke the hug and smiled back. “I know.”

He then saw the rest of the crew who worked on his boyfriend. Levi was alive because of them. They all deserve his utmost gratitude. 

“Thank you Dr. Bailey.” Nico just went in with the hug and Bailey gave in with a smile.

He then hugged a very nervous Casey.

The remaining ones were Jo and Link. They were very nervous because they hid then truth from Nico and Nico knew that. 

Nonetheless, the only thing on Nico’s mind at that time was that they saved Levi’s life. 

“Jo. Thank you. Thank you so much.” Nico hugged her tight. 

This surprised her immensely, but simply hugged back and smiled.

Link expected Nico to just ignore him, but he was just as surprised as Jo when he hugged him too and he hugged hard. 

“Thanks Link. Thanks so so much.”

“N-No problem, Bud.”

The crew of surgeons stood before a very anxious Nico. “When can I see him?”

“He won’t be conscious for a while, but yes. Only for an hour, though. Visiting hours are almost over.” Bailey stated firmly. 

It’s been a long day. It was 7 pm.

It was enough for Nico. He went in with happy tears, leaving the crew astounded. They really weren’t used to Nico showing that much affection. Ever. 

After a few moments, Richard and Amelia joined them.

“What happened? Where’s Nico? How’s Schmitt?” Richard was so worried. He went to the seat he left Nico in and he wasn’t there. He told Amelia the whole thing while they were on the consult and she was intrigued as well so she followed. 

“We were able to save him. It was close, but we got him back in time.”

Richard sighed a big sigh of relief. “God bless him.”

“God bless them both.” Bailey added. 

“Those two are the epitome of a perfect relationship,” Jo said.

Link and Parker were left with no words but they all stood watching Nico gently stroke Levi’s curls through the glass of the room. 

One by one, the crew left the beautiful scene before them. It was night time after all and the shifts were ending. 

Everyone left expect for Link and Jo. They looked at each other, knowing what they had to do.  
——  
Nico couldn’t believe how in love he was. Even unconscious and pale, he still though Levi looked beautiful. Of course, he would like him to be better and healthy, but in his eyes, Levi was always the most beautiful man alive. The way his chest rose and fell was so pleasing and Nico began to stroke his gorgeous curls with love.

“You really scared me today, you know? I was worried out of my mind. You have no idea. I love you. I love you so much. I don’t know what I would of done if—“ he cut himself off. “I don’t want to even think about it.” 

Nico felt the great urge to hug him at that very moment. He gently laid his head in Levi’s chest and stayed there for a while. He was listening to his steady heartbeat and he didn’t know why, but it was incredibly soothing.

He backed up to continue to stroke his hair and whispered one last “I love you.”

He was interrupted by a knock knock at the door. It was Link and Jo. 

“Hey Nico.” Link said and Jo gave a nervous wave. 

Nico just smiled, continuing to stroke his lover’s hair.

“I uh, I hate to interrupt Nico, but visiting hours are over.” Link said slowly. 

Nico stopped stroking and stood up. “Yeah, I know. I’ll be back here tomorrow first thing.”

He gave Levi a kiss on the forehead and made his way to the door. 

“Nico wait,” Link called. 

Nico stopped.

“Nico, we’re really sorry. We shouldn’t have hid something so serious from you.”  
Jo spewed out sincerely.

“It was my idea. I though I’m he would be an easy fix and I just didn’t want you to find out and be worried. I guess I made you worry even more. I messed up, man. I’m sorry.” 

Nico eyed Link and Jo over for a while before he responded. 

“I appreciate the thought, but it’s better to be sincere than to hide the truth,” Nico finally answered after what felt like an hour of silence for Jo and Link.

They nodded and Nico left. It still amazed them how much Levi and Nico were meant to be.  
——  
The following day, Nico woke up with all his energy and made his way over to the hospital bringing Levi’s favorite belongings with him to the hospital. 

He made sure to get there quickly because he didn’t want to miss any possible time to spend with his lover and he wanted to be able to spend time before his shift began. Webber told him he didn’t have to worry about work for the week, but Nico told him he didn’t mind. Now that he knew where Levi was and that he is bound to wake up soon, he had something to go back to everyday. 

He was let in to Levi’s room and Nico had breakfast with him, watched tv with him and conversed with him until it was time for his shift. He also made sure to call Levi’s mom. She wasn’t worried about him because she knew he would be with Nico this week and that’s where she thought he was. He was about to call when suddenly, he saw Levi’s arm move. He dropped the phone and noticed Levi’s hand began to twitch and his eyes were fluttering. He didn’t expect Levi to wake up. It was still too soon. But when he saw Levi’s other hand begin to do the same, he immediately called a doctor. 

“Someone, please! He’s waking up!” Nico yelled. Meredith came in as soon as she heard. Link followed. 

They examined him properly and saw that there was nothing to worry about. They ran some tests and Levi was fine. He just had an unexpected early awakening, which is not a bad thing. 

While Meredith performed one last test, Link walked over to Nico “Take the month off. This guy’s waking up and will need you to bring him back up.” 

“So, nothing’s wrong?”

“Nope” Meredith confirmed. “He’s stronger than we thought. Now he just needs love and support to help him through his physical therapy. He’ll need a lot of mental training to get used to the situation as well.” 

Nico was smiling from ear to ear. “I can take care of that.”

Link and Meredith smiled and left the two alone. 

“Hey Levi,” Nico whispered. 

Levi’s eyes slowly opened. He blinked a few times at first and then he saw him. His lips slowly began to turn into a curve and he smiled back. 

“Hey you.”

“I’ve missed you so much.”

“Where was I?”

“We have much to talk about.”  
——  
Nico called Levi’s mom and she made her way over to the hospital in a heartbeat. While Levi and her were talking, Nico waited outside and saw Clyde and the same officer again. They stopped right near Nico. Nico stopped breathing when he saw them. How dare they come back here? How dare he even step foot outside Levi’s room?

Nico decided to observe first. Clyde made eye contact with Nico and became more uneasy than before. Nico didn’t say anything, but his face said a thousand words. He was furious beyond repair and didn’t know how he had the discipline to not punch him in the face. 

The officer decided to break the tension: “He pleaded guilty. He’s got a heavy fine and a year in prison. He just felt so bad he begged for us to bring him back so he could apologize.”

“It’ll be quick. Look, I’m sorry. I really am, and to show for it, if the gentleman allows it, I’d like to apologize and see how he’s doing,” Clyde spoke nervously yet firmly.

“Absolutely not.”

“But—“

Nico interrupted anything Clyde had to say, “No. You nearly kill him and now you just waltz here to visit him. What are you? No, you are not getting anywhere near him.”

“With all due respect, Dr., the patient has the right to choose.”

“Well I won’t give him the dissatisfaction of letting him see you. You’ve done enough to him and thanks to you he’s got a long road to recovery, which starts today. I’m not letting you ruin anything else. Please leave. Now.”

“Dr., please. I just—“

The door opened and it was Levi’s mom coming out of the room to tell Nico that Levi wants to see him, but when she saw the officer, a raggedy man, and a furious Nico, she had no idea what to do. Her face spoke for her and Nico helped her. 

“Mrs. Schmitt, these people were just leaving. I’ll go see him now. 

The officer sighed. “I’m sorry, Dr.” He directed his gaze at Mrs. Schmitt and said: “Ma'am, I assume the patient Levi Schmitt your son?”

“Mrs. Schmitt was nervous but answered, “Yes, he’s my son.”

“This man, he is the one who caused the accident and he would like to apologize. He is going to prison for a year but begged us to allow him to see how Dr. Schmitt was doing.”

Nico looked down. He didn’t want to face Mrs. Schmitt’s eyes. 

“I -uh. I would not be comfortable with that. Please-please leave. Take him away, officer.”

Nico looked up and smiled faintly.

The officer was about to leave, but they all heard a “Mom, Nico. Let him in.”

Mrs. Schmitt and Nico were shocked. The officer looked tired of all the unnecessary drama, but abided to what Levi said. After all, he did believe that it was Levi’s choice. 

The officer and Clyde walked in and left Mrs. Schmitt and Nico eyeing each other with a look of genuine surprise. They quickly followed and went into the room too.

“Dr. Schmitt, I hope you have a speedy recovery. This is Clyde Harris. He was the drunk driver who caused your accident. He pleaded guilty and is on his way to pay prison. He also has quite a fine to pay. He begged to come back and speak to you, however.”

Levi didn’t smile, he just wore a neutral look on his face and turned his face from the officer to Clyde, as if allowing him to have his turn to speak.

“Dr. Schmitt. Oh god. I-I am so glad you are okay. I-I can’t believe it. I, you have every right to hate me, to wish me the worst, but I wanted you to know that I did feel bad for what i did. I do know I am responsible and if I could turn back time and undo it to avoid al the suffering I’ve caused you and your loved ones, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I’m sincerely sorry. I-I’m so sorry.” Clyde began to get down on his knees, but Levi stopped him.

“No, no. Hey Clyde, come back up. Stand up. I know you didn’t mean to and I appreciate you coming back here to apologize. Not many people would do that. I don’t wish you the worst. I know this was just an accident. Unfortunate, yes, but nothing that can’t be fixed. I forgive you.”

Clyde didn’t stop crying. He picked himself back up and brought a smile to his own face. He forgave him. His words of forgiveness were enough to help Clyde be able to sleep easy in that prison cell. He was so grateful. 

“Dr. Thank you. Thank you so much. You are too good. This world needs more people like you. I-thank you. I have nothing more to say. Thank you for your time.”

Levi smiled. “You’re welcome.”

The officer and Clyde left the room and it was as if they were never there. 

Levi turned to his boyfriend and his mother. “Why were you two not going to let them in? That man needed this talk. Did you see the smile on his face when he left?”

“Yes, honey. You’re very right. I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to add any stress to you.”Levi’s mother said sadly.

“Levi, the guy almost killed you. Why do you care about ‘what he needed’ or if he’s happy? He deserves the worst!”

“No, Nico. If he made the effort to come back here, he deserves a chance. I wanted to give him that chance.”

Nico and Mrs. Schmitt were left dumbfounded. His mother was proud above all because her son was a beautiful person. Nico was more in love than before, if that’s possible, because of Levi’s heart. It was big enough to fit a whole colony. He had such a good heart, such good intentions, and he didn’t want to admit it, but that Clyde was right about something: the world needs more people like Levi.


End file.
